Number of airline passengers per year in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Number of airline passengers per year was 3.87 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Number of airline passengers per year in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023
Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, number of airline passengers per year in Sri Lanka stood at 3.87 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 18.9% on the previous year and down 19.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of airline passengers per year in Sri Lanka peaked at 5.88 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 100,000, in 1978.
Sri Lanka ranks 69th of 183 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 118,410 | 100,000 | 181,000 | 10 |
| 1980s | 584,640 | 235,000 | 744,500 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.11 million | 891,800 | 1.42 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.41 million | 1.72 million | 3.21 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.79 million | 3.01 million | 5.88 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.31 million | 871,685 | 3.87 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
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- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0088 °C (2026)
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- Winter temperature anomalies 0.372 °C (2025)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is number of airline passengers per year in Sri Lanka?
- Number of airline passengers per year in Sri Lanka was 3.87 million in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of airline passengers per year recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 5.88 million in 2018.
- What is the lowest number of airline passengers per year recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 100,000 in 1978.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for number of airline passengers per year?
- Sri Lanka ranks 69th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of airline passengers per year rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of airline passengers per year. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This represents the total rather than unique passenger activity: this means a person who makes multiple trips is counted multiple times.